In Vientiane, local police recently nabbed four Chinese nationals suspected of targeting empty homes to crack open safes and steal valuables.
According to the police, this group has been active since last August. They'd ride around on electric scooters, scouting for big houses that looked unoccupied—no lights on at night. Once they picked a target, they'd share the location in their group chat and wait for the right moment to strike.
So far, three incidents have been confirmed. On August 28 in Dongguo Village, they made off with over 19 million kip. Then, on September 3 in Phonpapao Village, they stole gold bracelets, necklaces, silver rings, and 7 million kip. By September 5 in Nongnieng Village, they had taken gold jewelry, a Gucci watch, US dollars, and more cash.
The police are still investigating to see if there are more accomplices involved. Meanwhile, locals are becoming more vigilant, paying extra attention to their lights and locks at night.
